Rev. McCants: This group always has a positive message and sets an example. When I've seen them accept their awards I notice they always give thanks to The Lord. Let's get a few words from them while they are here.
Boyz II Men: How's everybody doing? What Rev. McCants said is right: when you put The Lord first, everything just sort of falls into place. It is a good thing to be in a choir. We were in a choir ourselves when we were in high school and it was a lot of fun. You all are doing a lot of positive things. There are a lot of things people are doing to each other that are ridiculous. You are here doing positive things, singing. You deserve a round of applause. You all are going against the grain of what's happening. We know about the pressures you're exposed to. You're not listening to all of that; you're staying focused.
Choir: How long were you together before you signed with Motown?
Boyz II Men: It took six months for the deal to come through. It doesn't usually happen that quickly, but we were in the right place at the right time. People have to realize that you have to be patient. We didn't know how long it would take. We were in groups before Boyz II Men and some people quit, but we kept going and the four of us stuck together. There used to be five of us. It takes a lot of desire and hard work. Some us wanted to be rappers when we were little. We just kept trying. A lot happens in the music industry. The industry doesn't accept everyone. You can do a good job and people may not like you. But if you like what you're doing, don't let anyone stop you.
Choir: How do you categorize your music?
BoyzII Men: We don't like to have to have our music categorized. What that does is limit us. We want to be involved with any aspect of music that there is from R&B to pop to jazz to country. We want to go as far as we can.
Choir: How do you avoid the pitfalls?
Boyz II Men: We always put God first. People have a problem foriving others today. The Lord will forgive us though. And we know that there is another life after this; we're only doing this while we're here. If the public can't forgive us, as long as He does, that's all that matters. People put you on a pedestal and humans do make mistakes.
Choir: How do the different personalities get along?
Boyz II Men: We love each other as brothers. Before we go onstage we pray. Plus, we just like each other. In the beginning, we were a group before we were friends. We liked how each othr sounded; that's all that mattered at the time. But when we realized we were going to have to live with each other, we started becoming a team. It was different in a choir. You weren't taught to just like a person, you were taught just to sing with the person. When you're in a group, you start creating a bond. Plus, we've been through a lot of ups and downs together.
Choir: What is important to the group?
Boyz II Men: Getting rest. You've got to get your sleep. If you don't get your rest your voice won't sound good at all. When it's cold or too hot you can't sing that well either. Your body needs a lot of care. Going to sleep for one hour and performing for two hours doesn't work.